This application claims the priority of German application 197 20 000.1, filed May 13, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a ceiling for a lamella-type sliding roof of a motor vehicle, and more particularly, to a ceiling having lamellae which, when the roof is open, are tilted upward in a spaced manner with respect to one another and, particularly with respect to their closed position, are pushed on one another in a distance-reducing manner, which extends, independently of the momentary position of the lamellae in their displacement direction. The ceiling, exclusively in an area situated below the lamellae, is deformable and exercises a sealing function.
A ceiling for a lamella-type sliding roof is described in DE 43 27 264 C1. There, the deformable vehicle ceiling consists of U-shaped grooves which are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the lamellae and which are connected with one another in the displacement direction by foldable foil material. At their ends, the grooves lead into dirt removal and water draining grooves fixedly mounted below the vehicle roof. The U-shaped grooves which extend along the lamellae are assigned to the lamellae such that water flowing off from the gaps between the upright lamellae or dirt falling down from the gaps between the upright lamellae must penetrate in a targeted manner only into the U-grooves. For this purpose, seals are provided between the lamellae and the longitudinal edges of the U-shaped grooves.
The device has a complicated construction. Furthermore, as a result of improperly operating seals between the edges of the U-shaped grooves and the lamellae, water and/or dirt can penetrate into the vehicle interior. This is possible because the foldable foil between the U-shaped grooves on its lateral longitudinal edges does not lead into the dirt and water removal groove into which the U-shaped grooves lead.
An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle ceiling as simply as possible and with a secure sealing function.
One advantageous solution to achieve this object is by providing a deformable vehicle ceiling constructed as a foil which leads transversely to the displacement direction of the lamellae continuously into a dirt and water-removal groove.
The present invention is based on the recognition that it is advantageous to provide, below the lamellae to be tilted up, an additional sealing plane which is as simple as possible and which, when the lamella-type sliding roof is closed, is a visually attractive vehicle ceiling. A vehicle ceiling is particularly advantageous which, when the lamella-type roof is opened up, is simply rolled up in a shade-type manner. Such a shade-type vehicle ceiling is known per se from DE 39 03 035 A1 in a vehicle sliding roof. However, that known construction, the shade only carries out a visual function; i.e., when the sliding roof is closed, it is to form an aesthetically attractive vehicle ceiling. In contrast to the shade according to the present invention, the known shade is not configured used for the removal of dirt and water during the opening of the sliding roof.